Switch lock



May 21, 1929.

C. C. MITCHE LL SWITCH LOCK Filed Jan. 13, 1928 v //v VEA/TOR 2a WM 6MITCHELL.

MLv-QM ATTORNEY V Fetented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES CLYDE C. MITCHELL, OF MARION. OHIO.

SWITCH LOCK.

Application filed January 13, 1928.

This invention relates to a switch lock and is designed primarily forthe purpose of positively locking the switch points against movementwhen the switch actuating lever is in its normal or closed position.

One object of the invention is to provide such a device which will besimple in its construction and operation and will positively hold theswitch points against movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in whichthe position of the switch operating lever will in part be controlled bythe locking device, thereby preventing the return of the lever to itsnormal position when the locking device is in an inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which,together with its connecting mechanism, will be so arranged that it willnot be liable to injury by equipment or parts dragging from a car, orthe like.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetail.

gr, In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan view of a switch lockembodying my invention, showing the same in connection with a railwayswitch; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the track showing thelocking 30 mechanism in elevation; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of alocking mechanism taken transversely to the track; and Fig. 4 is avertical section of the locking mechanism taken parallel to the track.

In these drawin s I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention andhave shown the same in connection with a railway switch of the standardtype. It will be understood that this embodiment has been chosen for thepurpose of illustration only, that the mecha nism may take various formsand may be applied to switches of various kinds without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

As shownin Fig. 1, the switch comprises the usual movable switch points5 which are connected at points more or less remote from their ends withan actuating rod 6 which in turn is connected with a switch stand 7. Aweighted lever 8 mounted on the switch stand is operatively connectedwith the actuating rod 6 in such a manner that when the lever is movedto a position on one side of the switch stand the switch points will bemoved to their closed positions and when the lever 56 is moved to aposition on the other side of the switch stand the points will be movedto Serial No. 246,409.

their open positions. The switch stand and its associated operatingmechanism are of a well known type and need not be here illustrated ordescribed in detail.

The locking mechanism comprises a sup porting structure here shown inthe form of a housing 9 having in the lower portion thereof a guideway10 extending transversely to the switch. Mounted in this guideway is alocking bar, one end of which is connected with the switch points. Thelocking bar is here shown as comprising a main or lower portion 11 whichextends below the supporting structure or housing 9 and is connected atits inner end with a lug 12 depending from a connecting bar or head rod13 which is rigidly secured to the switch points near the ends thereof.The outer end of the locking bar extends beyond the lock housing and isbent upwardly and inwardly so as to provide an upper portion 14 arrangedparallel with the lower portion 11 and this upper portion is slidablymounted in the guideway 10 of the lock housing. By thus constructing andarranging the locking bar so that it may extend beneath the lock housingthe bar may be located between adjacent ties and at such a distancebelow the tops thereof that it will not be struck by dragging carequipment or other parts which may be moved along the track close to theties.

The housing 9 is mounted on a fixed support or base adjacent to theswitch stand and is preferably provided in its upper portion with arecess 15 adapted to receive the switch lever 8 when the latter has beenactuated to move the switch points to their normal or closed positions.The lock housing ismounted in such relation to the switch stand that theoperating lever when in the recess will occupy its normal or horizontalposition and to this end the base or supporting ties for the switchstand may be cut away to permit the lock housing to be mounted in properrelation thereto. Any suitable means may be provided for retaining theoperating lever in the recess and, as here shown, a latch 16 ispivotally mounted on the housing 9 at 17, on one side of the recess 15,and has a slot 18 to receive a lug 19 extending upwardly from thehousing on the other side of the slot. This lug is apertured to receivethe hasp of a padlock 20, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper portion 14 ofthe locking rod, which is slidably mounted in the guideway 10, isprovided with a locking recess which, in the present instance, consistsof an ll'iOl'l'Ul'O 21 extending through the flat upper portion of thebar. Slidably mounted in the housing and movable into and out of thelocking recess 21 is a locking member 22. As shown, this locking memberis in the term of a bolt or plunger slidably mounted at it lower portionin an apertnred lug 23, ere tending inwardly from one wall of thehousing, and having its upper end slidably mounted in an opening 24 inthe bottom wall of the recess 15, the arrangement being such that whenthe locking member has been moved to its inoperative position. torelease the locking bar, it will extend into the recess such a distanceas to prevent the operating lever 8 being moved to its normal position,thus preventing the latch 16 irom being moved to a locking position. Inthe present instance, the plunger 22 has an enlarged head 25 arrangedwithin the recess 15 and serving to limit the downward movement of theplunger. This head is spaced from the top of the recess such a distancethat when the 'ilunger or looking member is in its opcrative positionthe operating lever may lully enter the recess and many be lockedtherein by the latch 16.

Any suitable means may be provided tor actuating the locking member 22.In the present instance, a lever 26 is pivotally mounted on lugs 27 onthe outer side or the housing and is pivotally connected with a lockingmember or plunger above the guide lug 23. The outer end of the leverextends some distance beyond the housing and is provided with a footpiece 28 to enable it to be operated by the foot of the operator. A stopor stud 29 is mounted on the inner porhe re tion of the lever 26 andarranged to e ge a fixed part oi? the housing, such as the nettom wallof the recess 15, and thus prevent the lun er from bein moved uiwardlvtai- D b enough to withdraw it from the guide lug 22- The operatinglever 8 :tor the switch has a certain amount of lost motion which isficient to permitthe end oi the lever to he raised an inch or two beforemovement imparted to the switch actuating'rod t n this lost motion inthe lever enables the looking member or plunger to be moved intooperative position after the switch has been closed and before the leverhas assumed its tinal position, and also to be moved to its inopci'zntive position before the lever imparts movement to the switch points.\Vhcn it is desired to open the switch the operating lever is roleasedby removing the padlock and the oper-- ating lever is then lifted ashort dis ncc, to the extent of its lost motion, either by hand or bymeans of the foot lever 26. When the lever has thus been raised thelocking memher is withdrawn from the locking bar to release the switchpoints and the operating lever may then be thrown over. to its oppositeposition to open the switch. As the switch is moved. to its openposition the locking recess will move out of line with the plunger andwhen the lever 26 has been released this plunger will rest upon theupper surface of the part 14L of the locking bar. Vhen the operatinglever is thrown over to a postion to close the switch the locking recesswill be again moved into line with the plunger and the plunger will dropinto the same but the operating lever cannot be fully seated in therecess 15 or locked in that position until the locking plunger hasentered the locking recess.

While I have shown and described one embodiment oi my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to belimited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

*l aving now fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. in a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with theswitch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway andprovided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on saidstructure for movement into and out oi? said locking recess and having apart arranged to extend into the path of said switch operating leverwhen said locking member is in its inoperative position, and means foractuating said locking member.

2. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with theswitch points and having a part slidably mounted in said guideway andprovided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on saidstructure for movement into and out of said locking recess and having apart arranged to extend into the path of said switch operating leverwhen said locking member is in ts inoperative position, means foractuating said locking member, and means'tor looking said operatinglever and said locking member against movement whensaid lockllijf memberis in its operative position.

25. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever. astructure having a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with theswitch points and having a part slidably mounted in said, guideway andprovided with a locking recess, a locking member mounted on saidstructure for movement into and out of said locking recess and having apart so arranged with relation to the operating lever that said leverwill be prevented from completing' its movement when said lockingme1nher is in its inoperative position and said looking member will beretained in its operative position by said lever when the latter hascompleted its movement.

In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a structurehaving a guideway, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch pointsand having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with alocking recess, a locking member mounted 011 said structure for movementinto and out of said locking recess and having a part so arranged withrelation to the operating lever that said lever will be prevented fromcompleting its movement when said locking member is in its inoperativeposition and said locking member will be retained in its operativeposition by said lever when the latter has completed its movement, andmeans carried by said structure for locking said operatin g lever in itsfinal position.

5. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway and having a recess to receive said operating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch points andhaving a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with arecess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into andout of the recess in said bar and so arranged that one end thereof willextend into the recess in i said structure when said locking member iswithdrawn from the recess in said bar, and means for actuating saidlocking member.

6. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway and having a recess to receive saidoperating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch pointsand having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with arecess, a locking member mounted on said structure for movement into andout of the recess in said bar and so arranged that one end thereof willextend into the recess in said structure when said locking member iswithdrawn from the recess in said bar, means for actuating said lockingmember, a latch ivotally mounted on said structure and a apted to bemoved across the outer end of the recess in said structure, and means tolock said latch in said position.

7. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway and having a recess to receive saidoperating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch pointsand having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with arecess, a plunger mounted on said structure for movement into and out ofthe recess in said bar and having one end slidably mounted in the wallof the recess in said structure, said plunger being of such length thatwhen withdrawn from the recess in said bar it will project into therecess in said structure such a distance as to prevent said operatinglever from being seated therein.

8. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, astructure having a guideway and having a recess to receive saidoperating lever, a bar adapted to be connected with the switch pointsand having a part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with arecess, a plunger mounted in said structure for movement into and out ofthe recess in said bar and having one end slidably mounted in the wallof the recess in said structure, said plunger being of such length thatwhen withdrawn from the recess in said bar it will project into therecess in said structure such a distance as to prevent said operatinglever from being seated therein, and a foot lever pivotally mounted onsaid structure and operatively connected with said plunger.

9. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, a housinghaving a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having a recess inthe upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, a bar adaptedto have one end connected with the switch points and having a partslidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, the bottomwall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plunger slidablymounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of the recess insaid bar, and means for actuating said plunger.

10. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, ahousing having a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having arecess in the upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, abar adapted to have one end connected with the switch points having apart slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, thebottom wall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plungerslidably mounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of therecess in said bar, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on onewall of said housing and having one end extending 1nto said housing andoperatively connected with said plunger.

11. In a locking device for a switch having an operating lever, ahousing having a guideway in the lower portion thereof and having arecess in the upper portion thereof to receive said operating lever, abar adapted to have one end connected with the switch points and havinga part slidably mounted in said guideway and provided with a recess, thebottom wall of said recess having a guide opening therein, a plungerslidably mounted in said guide opening for movement into and out of therecess in said bar, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on onewall of said housing and having one end extending into said housing andoperatively connected with said plunger, and a part connected with saidlever to engage a fixed part of said housing and limit the upwardmovement of said plunger.

12. In a switch locking device, a structure having a guideway, a lockingbar having a lower portion arranged below'said structure and having itsinner end adapted to be connected with the switch points, said bar alsohaving an upper portion connected with the outer end of said lower partand slidzilil' y mounted in suid guidewny, said upper purl having :1locking recess and a locking ine1nher mounted on said structure tormovement into and out of said locking recess.

13. In a switch looking device, :1 structure having a guideway, alocking bar arranged below said structure adapted to have its in ner endconnected with the switch points and having its outer portion bentupwardly and inwardly and slidably mounted in said guidewzy, the lastmentioned part of said her having it looking recess, and a plungerslidzibly mounted in said structure for movement into and out of saidlocking recess.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

CLYDE C. MITCHELL.

